The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-11
A SRING DAY,
BY JULIA X. wErHERILn.

with his chair tipped back against lhe
railing. He was smoking, and watch
ing in happy contemplative way the
wreaths that curled up from his long
stemmed pipe.
Lucy, his wife, came to the door and
stood there, with hand on each side
OF the framework, shifting idly from
one loot to the other. Her sli m figure
lent itself piantly to attitudes OF care
less ease that would have looked
slouching and awkward to most peo-
pie. She had little flower like face,
with small, irregular features; clear
blue eyes and hair OF a light red gold,
living upon her head in loose short
curls. The color in her lips was deep
and rich, and there was o fresh tinge
of red in her cheeks with here and there
a ireckle.
Colin" she said, "you ought to
have seen Jacky chasing the little tur-
kies; he tried so hard to catch them,
and he tripped and fell down, but he
diden't cry a bit"
"Oh, he's u wonderful boy" said
Colin, removing his pipe to laugh.
a little curley head was thrust be-
tween the mothers skirts and the
door.frame, and Jacky sent up a la
ment about the turkies that had
eluded him.
"No, no, you can't have Them"
said Lucy, ''but come with mamma,
and we'll put the turkies to bed"
Collins eyes followed the slender
figure OF his wife, with the two-year
old boy trotting beside her, clutching
her finger, the little feet stamping
earnestly along the garden-path.
Then he looked abroad. Spring
was everywhere. The sky was deep
" blue, the slanting rays OF the after
noon sunlight streamed through the
young boughs. The white heads OF
clover jostled each other in the road
side iringes of grass. Across the way
the bloomy cloud OF the china BIOS
som hung in the clear air. The turf
was thick with tiny flowers that had
the scent OF the earth. His garden
plot was fragrant and full OF color,
the exquisit wisteria and the yellow
honeysuckle with its pleasant
country smell crowded and
clustered about the porch. On
one side a tall, thick hedge OF Chero-
kee. the wild white rose OF the South,
screened the garden from the passers-
bv upou the narrow lane that ran be-
side it. The high road lay in front
and beyond that the levee and the
turbid breadth OF the Mississippi
River, transformed by cleaning after
noon lights into an enchanted
stream.
1t was a day OF hope. A thrill OF
10y and pain passed through the
mans heart. 1t was all so beautiful
so beautiful. The voice OF his wife
and child prattling together in the
sweet language OF babyhood, came TO
him where he sat. Sometimes he
caught glimpse OF Lucys bright hair
between the screen OF leaves. He
thought OF the dark days when his
life had seemed so intolerable that he
had come near to ending it with his
own hand.
suppose" he unused, that L had
done It and it had been my punish
ment to look out OF hell upon this. "
The thought made his heart trem-
BILE. He felt that he must thank
God Tor his deiiverance.
Colin" called Lucy, ARE yougoing
for the mail this evening""
"Why, yes. HAD almost forgotten
it."
"Wel don't forget to take my let
ter TO Cousin Sabina. IL is on the
mantelpece behind the blue vase"
1t did not take Colin long to kiss
Lucy and Jackey and get out on the
road. II stretched before him, SEEM
inry endless, with fiat monotony
that would have been maddenlng TO
an adventurous spirit; but to Colin it
seemed the embodiment OF placidity
and sweet content.
The sun was full OF mild warmth,
though the wind that blew had a tart
fonch OF chillness in it. just in front
OF him troop OF brown butterflies
frolicked above the ground with gar